Ensure equal water supply for all in Delhi

I am a 12 year old Delhi resident (from Sangham Vihar -- Asias largest unplanned colony) who hasn’t been able to shower for the last 12 days. There was no water at my place for 27 days, my father Jaan Muhammad borrowed water from neighbours promising them favours and paying huge sums of money to survive. We even tried purchasing water from tankers which were so expensive that we couldnt afford it. This is a strory of every Sangham Vihar resident.

I always though India is known for its abundant water resources. But everday me and my family face a lot of trouble in cooking, bathing, drinking and living a normal life in Delhi. If there was water shortage in New Delhi then why is there sufficient supply of water in Water Theme Parks, Five star Hotels and Restaurants?

Delhi gets water from more than 4 dams and yet the the flawed distribution system results in wastage of water. The Centre for Science and Environment release a report saying that 52% of Delhi's water is wasted even before we get get it. This happens due to wastage and leakage during the distribution process.

The World Health Organisation has given a minimum per capita consumption of 120 litres per person in New Delhi - then why in areas like Greater Kailash and Golf Links people are consuming an average of 500 litres each and more than 1600 unauthorised colonies a individual consumes less than 20 litres?

I believe water is a fundamental right for every citizen and we all deserve this Right To Drinking Water and water for survival. But still people across India die for water and face extreme troubles in getting water.

I demand:

-- Just and rational water supply to so called unauthorised colonies in Delhi

-- Re look into the National Water Policy and ensure just distribution of water amongst all citizens,Privatization to be stopped immediately in Delhi and elsewhere in the name of PPP

-- Abolish Water mafia practices in the National Capital Region and elsewhere

-- Ensure better water harvesting systems to ensure water conservation

-- Privatization to be stopped immediately in Delhi and elsewhere in the name of PPP

Join me in telling Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chief Minister Shiela Dixit, Minister of Water Resources Pawan Bansal and ensure a secure system of equal water distribution in Delhi and save thousands of families like mine suffering through acute water crisis.

Let me introduce me Shaan to you, a 12 year old Delhi boy from south Delhi slums, who hasn’t been able to take bath for the last 12 days. There was no water at his 25 yard shanty for almost 25 days. His father Jaan Muhammad somehow managed to borrow or buy some drinking water to survive.

With the Rio 2012 kicking off today and water being an important issue of discussion, can the Indian Govt. ensure equitable distribution of water amongst its citizens? World Health Organisation has set a minimum consumption level at 120 litres per capita which is a distant dream for country's 90 percent population including Delhi, the capital of the country. Many receive less than 20 litres a day. Many pay double or triple prices for water supplied by the water mafia in Delhi and around. It is learnt from the newspaper reports that the mineral water bottles being sold in black market, courtsey : the artificial crisis of water.

Mewa Ram has the same story to tell. He had migrated to Delhi three decades ago and settled in what the Govt. calls an ‘unauthorised colony’ of Delhi's Sangam Vihar. Today with wife and 3 children this tailor with an earning of nearly five thousand per month spends the amount this way : Rs 0800 as housing rent to a local DabangRs. 2500 on grocerry from the open bazar, and Rs. 1800 to buy water from the private suppliers (or should we say 'Water Mafia'?)

As Delhi suffers through the worst water crisis, we urge you to help the city in ensuring an equitable water supply.

This is more important as Rio +20 starts today, 20th June’ 2012 to discuss the environmental and water issues. One may wonder why people have to buy water from the contractors in a place like Delhi where the government claim that they have double the amount of water what is required for all people residing in Delhi.

We are not surprised to see that the Union Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal gave a statement in the Parliament on May 7, 2012 stating, "In the new proposed water policy, we have taken care to emphasize that the State should be encouraged to go in for public private partnership… public private partnership does not mean that you are privatizing the water sector. We are not privatising the water sector."

He even mentioned names of cities like Tirpur, Salt Lake Kolkata, Chennai, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Hubli, Dharwad, Belgaum, Gulbarga, Latoor, Mysore, Haldia, Dewas, Khandwa, Shivpuri, Raipur, Kolhapur, etc. He argued, "in so many places, for one purpose or the other, public private partnership model has been utilised, and it would be the policy of the Government to encourage that."

Mr Bansal's statement in the Parliament completely misrepresents the facts and misleads the parliament and people as well.The cities which were mentioned by the minister are cases of failed PPP projects. Votaries of privatisation argue that they are not privatizing water, but only involving private parties in managing it. The fact is no private operator undertakes a project unless it is assured of its raw material i.e. water.

We conducted a study in Delhi and found how the PPP business deprives people of their fundamental right to water. We filed RTI applications and researched the PPP moves by the Delhi government found the findings shocking. The Delhi government is about to start three PPP projects in three areas namely Malviya Nagar, Vasant Vihar and Nangloi. Each project will cost 173 crore (1730 million INR) where water distribution system will be privatised in phases.

With citizens of Delhi battling water politics and water mafia, as concerned individuals and citizens of this country we demand:

-- The Delhi govt. should ensure an uninterrupted water supply on the basis of 120 litres per capita in Delhi as given by WHO. - and quit playing water politics-- Privatization to be stopped immediately in Delhi and elsewhere in the name of PPP-- Just and rational water supply to so called unauthorised colonies in Delhi-- Re look into the National Water Policy and ensure just distribution of water amongst all citizens-- Abolish Water mafia practices in the National Capital Region and elsewhere-- Ensure better water harvesting systems to ensure water conservation

I hope you would look into this matter as soon as possible and treat it as urgent. Shaan Md. and Mewa Ram along with their fellow delhites are waiting for you to return from G20 and Reo+20 with a tumbler of hope.